[Blinky]

How exicting! I saw him when y'all were trying him out. I liked him then. I'll be out there Friday so hopefully I'll see him go. What division is he going in? Is Jo going to ride him? We all love Jo.

EMWalker-will you be there on Friday? If so, I'll be the one with the Rottie and will swing by your barn to find ya.

[EMWalker]

Yep -- from Wed to Sunday! Hopefully get to ride my new girl! I'll look for you. When I'm not riding, I have a little Toy Fox terrier. and usually always wear a Titleist hat.

[Blinky]

Ok. Cool!

[Portia]

There's always a lot of discussion about the 'rules'. While it's simply stated, I find the rule to be confusing. Per usef.org, rule HU117:

"Regulation snaffles, pelhams and full bridles, all with cavesson nose bands, are recommended. A judge may penalize for non-conventional types of bits or nosebands."

What's odd is that I can't find a definition of a 'regulation' snaffle, pelham or full bridle. Additionally, it's truly up to the judge's discretion as to what constitutes conventional.

If your horse goes well in his eggbutt and it looks nice on his head, go for it.

Welcome to my world, back in the days when I was the chair of the USEF Rules Reorganization Committee. I pointed out this little issue to the hunter committee, but they haven't done anything about it

There are a remarkable number of people in all the disciplines -- by no means just the hunters, and not that the hunters are the worst of the lot -- that (1) think everyone knows or should knows what the rules are intended to mean, even if a particular rule doesn't actually say what people think, so why change it, or (2) are happy with ambiguity because it gives them room to bend them, or (3) for a few licensed officials, like the feeling of superiority that being one of the few who supposedly knows what the rules really mean gives them.

[Portia]

Aw, I think little Stoney looks CUTE in his eggbutt and that it does flatter his face. Big ole round cheek, round eye, round eggbutt...

http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ent=stoney.jpg

I feel like big D rings would overwhelm his face and be disproportionate to his cheek. I guess I am just used to seeing him in an eggbutt.

He IS cute in his eggbutt. I don't know why D-rings are more fashionable. I guess they are just perceived to be more "formal." Personally, I never noticed that was what was "in" until one of my HP friends explained it to me.

Are you going to be in Katy this week? I am headed over tomorrow. New pony arrives!! We really need to have a COTH meet up. Portia and Blinky, please come say hi!

How exicting! I saw him when y'all were trying him out. I liked him then. I'll be out there Friday so hopefully I'll see him go. What division is he going in? Is Jo going to ride him? We all love Jo.

EMWalker-will you be there on Friday? If so, I'll be the one with the Rottie and will swing by your barn to find ya.

Yes, we'll be in Katy. Jo is going to do the pre-greens with Dheacon on Thursday and Friday, then I'm going to do the Modified Adults with him on the weekend. (Yes, it's come to me doing the 2'6" hunters! But I keep telling myself he's only 6 and has only been jumping for a year, and I haven't shown since Pin Oak 2007, etc. )

I'll try to find both of you to say hi.

[Janet]

Welcome to my world, back in the days when I was the chair of the USEF Rules Reorganization Committee. I pointed out this little issue to the hunter committee, but they haven't done anything about it.

At least they FINALLY got around to saying something about running martingales. Was that your doing?

[Just My Style]

No. D ring or Full cheek; eggbuts are not in fashion.

I think it is COMPLETELY ridiculous that a bit is either in fashion or out of fashion. If a horse goes well in it and it is within regulation, then "fashion" should be unimportant. Totally moronic and why I no longer do the horse show thing anymore after decades of showing the A shows. It's gotten so stupid, I can barely stand it.

[LSM1212]

LSM, you're good to go, it's just the hooks that are unconventional.

Whew... thanks CBoylen. Got worried there for a minute. I personally didn't need the hooks (poll pressure)... that just makes my guy drop his head straight down and go back to his QH circuit days.

[equusrocks]

http://www.derbyhouse.co.uk/prodshow...=2&scats=50,14

I had this one and I thought it looked cute when I used it on the beastie.

[Madeline]

At least they FINALLY got around to saying something about running martingales. Was that your doing?

What in the world is wrong with running martingales ( except that, mainly, they don't work unless you have really good hands)?
The whole "Standing martingales in hunters" thing is the biggest fashion statement going...

madeline
(who comes from a time when you would not even think of showing a hunter in a D bit. Dees were only for the racetrack... )

[DMK]

Part of the reason D's are fashionable is that they are BIG D's and they tend to accentuate a refined muzzle and make an average muzzle look more refined (then again they really call attention to a less than stellar head, and that's where your full cheek comes in handy ). But a big D is generally perceived by the human eye to make a horse's head look even more refined in the muzzle and we have standards of beauty that are fairly universal - big eye to small nose ratio is something our brains are hardwired to be pleased by even if we don't recognize it - it's a universal trait of babies in all species that make us go "awwww".

Is that a fashion thing? Hell yes. Does it matter in placings? I can't hardly imagine that it would. It's just part of the overall picture. It's style of equipment that is likely to make your horse appear more pleasing to the judge's eye on that first impression, and in a sport judged on style, putting the viewer in a frame of mind that says, "I like this horse - he's pretty, he looks the part and I think I'd like a horse just like him!" will set you up for more success than a horse that creates an unfavorable impression upon entering the ring. Both can be equal over fences, but the one that had to exceed the judge's preconceived bias probably won't score as well. It might suck, but it is the way the world works. That is just simple psychology, not slave to fashion.

Do I think a bit plays a significant role in that first impression. Not hardly. But you are given a finite amount of things that you can affect here. If your horse is a great jumper but a bad mover or got hit by the ugly stick, you can't change that. You can control to some extent his tack and your clothes. So if you are serious about this, that would be one of the reasons why you might choose a certain bit style.

Now do I think if - for whatever reason - you go with an eggbutt the judge is going to reach for his card to knock you out of contention? Of course not. That would be silly, don't you think? But its important to recognize there is a reason WHY people choose these two particular bits and it's not just because they read Horse Vogue last week and had to jump on the bandwagon. It's just one more thing to create that first impression - probably not any more important than making sure your boots are shiny and dust free before you go in the ring, but not to be entirely dismissed as stupid or to be condescended to as if choosing one makes you some sort of inane slave to fashion.

[superpony123]

If your horse goes well in an eggbutt, then go in the eggbutt. I'd rather see a happy horse hacking and jumping around especially at a show in whatever bit they go nicely in, rather than in what is fashionable and throwing its head or just at all uncomfortable. I show my pony in hunters and eq, but the day he'll go in a D ring is going to come when hell freezes over (or when he's too old to jump, probably -- which wont be for years, as he is young) he goes nicely in a full cheek slow twist with a dr bristol. do judges penalize for this? certainly not, though if i had to guess on the rank for most fashionable bits, full cheeks would likely come in 2nd or so (and i know they used to be the fad a long time ago), but i ride my boy in one because he needs a full cheek to get around turns nicely.

[TheOrangeOne]

People just don't use them because they don't make the horse's head look quite as nice. I am tempted to revive the big loose ring thing- horse goes around better in a big fat loose ring than anything else I can find, but I haven't attempted it at a show. Maybe I'll test drive it at a local show...

[Portia]

At least they FINALLY got around to saying something about running martingales. Was that your doing?

Nope, can't take credit for that one. Occasionally a committee realizes there's an issue -- usually when someone "violates" the unwritten rule everyone thinks exists but doesn't -- and someone proposes a rule change.

[Jumper6252]

I don't think you would be marked down for an eggbut, but a D in my opinion looks much better

[ryansgirl]

I think it is COMPLETELY ridiculous that a bit is either in fashion or out of fashion. If a horse goes well in it and it is within regulation, then "fashion" should be unimportant. Totally moronic and why I no longer do the horse show thing anymore after decades of showing the A shows. It's gotten so stupid, I can barely stand it.

I couldn't agree more!! It has gotten ridiculous - how the h/j world turned into a fashion show is beyond me. I was out of showing for quite awhile after showing the A's for a long time years ago - I have no desire to get back into it nowadays .

My horse that I showed on the A circuit in hunters (and eq) way back when went in an eggbutt and it never affected our placings - ever.

[Hilltopfarmva]

BEFORE rust.
In the days of CANARY britches.

OMG!! Hahaha, my first pair of hand me down breeches were canary. I refused to wear them. They belonged to my trainer when she was showing back in the 60's or so and they were still in great condition, but had the puffed out sides. No freaking way. I was riding with her in the 80's on my medium ponies. I think they were Harry Halls. I told mom, no way. I'll babysit to buy proper show breeches. Sarah

[Hilltopfarmva]

I've had the same problem with the Dee rubbing the horse's mouth. And I tried many different brands and styles of D bits. The racing dee worked the best, but some of my fashionable show boarders told me "don't you dare show in that!" So, then I tried the eggbutts and they worked great. Got the same response as the racing dee, but this time I told the girls to piss off. My greenies came home with champions and reserves in their eggbutts and that was just a few years ago. I will ride in whatever makes my horses comfortable and happy. Sarah

[BeastieSlave]

You know, I've been thinking about this thread.....
I've realized that I really don't like the big D ring bits. Those giant D rings that some of you say make the muzzles look delicate just make the rings look too big IMHO.
BTW, we have a jumper going in a copper D ring, and even though the bit is as old as dirt, the rings aren't too big and it's the right bit for the job. Being in jumpers, that horse has almost unlimited bit possibilities. I'm not prejudiced against D's in general - just the really big ones.

[Portia]

Yes, the one that is rubbing is a "King Dee" -- which means one of the huge ones. Now, my guy is a 17 hand Hanoverian, so it looks OK on him, but I would think it would look strange on a horse with a smaller head.

I'm trying the smaller 5" dee ring, which we hope won't rub because it will be at a slightly different angle and not turn into his cheek so much (most of his other bits are 5" and fit him fine). But that's only because no one seems to have the eggbutt in stock. If the smaller one still rubs, it will be the eggbutt for sure, even if I do have to wait a few weeks to get it.